Nuclear-powered warship USS George Washington was allowed to dock at Port Klang last month because of the economic benefits it brought to Malaysia, Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad said.

He told the Dewan Rakyat last night that the United States has a huge defence budget to "secure the seas", and this presents an economic opportunity for Malaysia.

NONE "I once had dinner with the US Navy secretary and the budget to secure the seas is US$50 billion. So if their ships come and they need supplies like water, we'll provide it.

"Of course, we don't feel compelled to do this because US is a superpower... but we are open to this because there are lots of benefits to gain. There are 7,000 crew members on board," he said.

He insisted that it is "not an issue" for Malaysia to allow a nuclear-powered warship into its waters, despite the country being part of the Southeast Asia as the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (Zopfan) as the ship did not carry any nuclear arms.

NONE "We have to ensure that there are no nuclear leakages or radiation, etc. We give the green light after all procedures are adhered to," he said, while winding up the committee stage debate for the Defence Ministry budget.

Abdul Latiff (left) was replying to Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) who, in a supplementary question, also asked how often foreign warships, nuclear-powered or not, have docked in Malaysia from 2007 to 2011.

"I was informed that only three docked from 1999 to 2006 but from 2007 to 2011, US warships visit us every year. Is that true?" he asked.

Abdul Latiff, however, replied that while he did have the specific information with him, the frequency of foreign warship visits is "not an issue" as they have "gone through the criteria set" by Malaysia.

Potential dangers

However, Chua highlighted the possible dangers of Malaysia hosting these nuclear-powered warships.

"I don't think it's not an issue... as you said, we provide repairs and supplies. Do you know that aircraft carriers are part of the US strike force for the Gulf countries.

NONE "A warning was issued against their presence in Iran, which is seen as a provocative move. What exactly is the government's stand on this?" Chua ( left ) responded.

Deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee then censured Chua for repeating a point he had already raised during the debate.

"I am raising it again because the minister is not answering (the question)," Chua said, prompting the deputy minister to promise a written reply.

Also participating in the debate was Ahmad Hamzah (BN-Jasin), who was concerned over the environmental risks posed by having a nuclear-powered ship docking in Malaysia.

The USS George Washington had docked at Port Klang on Oct 7 in what national newswire Bernama said was a bid to "promote cooperation and bolstering strong relations between the republic and Malaysia".